Eduard Interwies, Senior Economist at Ecologic, presented an assessment of the impact on the German water sector of recent developments concerning the potential liberalisation of water services at EU level.

Policy learning among nations and the exchange of experience play an important role in improving environmental management and policy. To facilitate the exchange between water experts from Central America, the Inter-American Development Bank organised a workshop on Integrated Water Resources Management, which was held in Costa Rica from 24 to 28 May 2004. In this context, R. Andreas Kraemer presented the economic dimension of integrated water resources management.

The Evangelische Akademie Loccum hosted a conference on "GATS, EU-internal market and the liberalisation of general services in Germany". Wenke Hansen talked about the quality and price of water services in Europa.

R. Andreas Kraemer, the Director of Ecologic Institute, presented a first assessment of recent developments concerning the potential liberalisation of water services in Europe.

The Heinrich Boell Foundation and the National Wildlife Federation co-hosted a conference on "Water: A Key Issue for Sustainable Development – For Johannesburg and Beyond" in Washington, DC, on 16 April 2002. R. Andreas Kraemer spoke on the emerging water policy framework in Europe, its likely effect on water management, and lessons for other part of the world.